Abandoned Theater – After the Final Curtain

Strand and Capitol

Published on March 25, 2018 by MattLeave a comment

Strand New Bedford — Strand Theatre, New Bedford, MA

Yesterday I attended a photography workshop at the Strand Theatre in New Bedford, Massachusetts hosted by Bryan Buckley of Vanishing New England. I love hosting workshops, but it was very nice to be on the other side of one this time. The Strand Theatre originally opened as the Vien Theatre in 1905, and is going to be turned into a community center in the near future.

While I was in the area I also visited the former Capitol Theatre in Fall River, MA. The Capitol originally opened on February 2, 1926. I believe it closed in the 1960s, but haven’t been able to verify that yet. Part of the orchestra level was converted into a bowling alley sometime after it closed. The proscenium and organ chambers were removed so that a large steel support beam could be installed as part of the conversion.

I’ll be posting full write ups on both of these theaters very soon.

Lights, Camera, Contest Winners

Published on March 20, 2018 by Matt6 Comments

Everett Square Theatre, Boston, MA. Left side on site lighting. Right side LED lighting.

One of the questions I’m asked pretty often is “How do you light these theaters?” When I first started photographing theaters the answer was pretty simple. I didn’t. I relied on whatever was already in the building. I’d use construction lights, open fire escape doors, or in some rare cases use the original theater lights.

Victory Theatre Holyoke, MA Left side on site lighting. Right side LED lighting.

A few years ago I picked up some small LED lights from Amazon. They worked pretty well, but had a battery life of around 45 minutes, which wasn’t ideal. Earlier this year I noticed that they were taking longer to charge and not lasting as long. I began to search for replacements. If you’ve ever looked at how many LED lights there are on Amazon and B&H you’d know that finding a good one is a pretty daunting task. After weeding through the duds I bought two Yongnuo YN300 III LED lights, and they’re pretty fantastic. I’m able to light an entire auditorium with the two lights running at 50%, and the batteries last for around two hours. I’ve only tested them at the Everett Square Theatre and the Victory Theatre, but I think they’re a welcome addition to my camera bag.

After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater.

Congratulations to Monika Seitz Vega and @NKenny ! You both won a copy of my first book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater . Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. I’ll be doing another giveaway soon.

After the Final Curtain 7 Year Anniversary Giveaway

Published on March 10, 2018 by Matt23 Comments

Cover for After the Final Curtain; the Fall of the American Movie Theater.

I had been photographing forgotten theaters for a few years before I launched this site, but we just passed the 7 year anniversary of my first post. So to celebrate I’m giving away two signed copies of my first book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater.

To enter just follow my twitter account: https://twitter.com/MattLambros and retweet any image I tweet during the next week.

If you don’t have a twitter account, just comment on this post to enter. Good Luck!

Back in the States

Published on March 3, 2018 by Matt9 Comments

I had a fantastic time in England with the Cinema Theatre Association and wanted to share a few of the theaters I visited while I was over there. First, the Royalty Cinema in Birmingham. It opened on October 20, 1930 and closed in 1963. The cinema was then converted into a bingo hall, which closed in 2012.

Granada Cinema – Tooting, South London, England.

The Granada originally opened on September 7, 1931. It was converted into a bingo hall in 1967, and remains one today. This is one of the more impressive theaters I’ve ever visited.

Finally, we have the ABC Stoke Newington. It opened as the Savoy Cinema on October 26, 1936. It closed in 1984, and the orchestra level was converted into a snooker hall. The snooker hall closed in 2014. Current plans call for the theater to undergo an estimated £3 million restoration and reopen as the Hackney Arts Centre in 2018.

I’ll be posting in-depth write ups of these cinemas (and more) very soon.

London Theatres

Published on February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 by Matt6 Comments

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Hi Everyone,

I’m currently in London checking out some of England’s amazing theaters. The picture above is the remnants of the Kingsland Empire Theatre which opened in 1915. It’s located above the Rio Cinema, a smaller art deco theater, that was built inside the Kingsland in 1937.

Updated Post – Paramount Theatre

Published on February 16, 2018 by Matt4 Comments

Main level, Paramount Theatre – Youngstown, Ohio.

I’ve been going through some of my older posts and expanding the text as well as re-editing the photos. Check out the first redone post – The demolished Paramount Theatre in Youngstown, Ohio.

Upcoming Events & Workshops

Published on February 8, 2018 by MattLeave a comment

Robins_10_14_17_011 — Robins Theatre – Warren, Ohio.

Hi Everyone,

I’ll be speaking in at The Gallery at Alan Baxter Associates in London on February 24, 2018 for the Cinema Theatre Association. The address is 75 Cowcross Street, Farringdon, London EC1M 6EL. Doors will open at 5:00 PM and tickets cost £10.00 at the door (which includes wine and light refreshments). Copies of my first book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater, will be available for purchase.

It’s been a long time since I was last in England, and I can’t wait to check out some theaters while I’m there!

Cabot_Theatre_08_31_17_010 — Cabot Theatre – Beverly, MA

On April 5, 2018 I’ll be speaking at the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, MA. I’ll also be exhibiting some new work at the gallery space in the theater. If you think the murals in this theater look familiar, it’s because they were most likely painted by the same artist as the ones in the Loew’s Poli and Loew’s Majestic Theatres in Bridgeport, CT. More details to come!

Everett_Square_Theatre_09_30_17_015 — Everett Square Theatre – Boston, MA

I’ve secured another workshop date at the Everett Square Theatre in Boston, MA on April 14, 2018. I soft announced the first date on my Facebook page and it sold out in a few days. This one will probably go fast as well. You can find out more information and sign up here.